Steven N’Zonzi’s name would definitely have stood out on Sam Allardyce’s first England squad list.
Allardyce has admitted that he was interested in calling up the Sevilla midfielder, who he knows from his time as Blackburn manager, but will not be allowed to do so.
Sky Sports report that the 27-year-old, who spent a total of six years in England before moving to Spain last year, recently declared an interest in becoming an England international when his father called the Football Association.
But Allardyce learned that N’Zonzi was ineligible due to the France U21 caps he won in his early twenties.
“We did have a call, but it was impossible,” admitted Allardyce, ahead of naming the squad that will face Slovakia in England’s opening World Cup qualifier.
“It would have been of interest to me and we did explore it. He’s very good and he never got the credit he deserved.
“The lad won player of the year at Blackburn in his first year after coming from the French Second Division.
“We finished 10th in the Premier League that year and I’m not surprised he’s got to a club like Sevilla in the end, a club at that level and of that size.”
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